Jeremy Li
IDIS 150-07 (DCM – C.S. Lewis)
January 25th 2011
Professors Paulo and Adriana Ribeiro
Developing a Christian Mind
I had no idea what to expect from a class on C.S. Lewis, as I have not read anything from him besides a couple books from his Narnia series. As a visual and active learner, I was worried that the reading assignments would be too much to handle. However, from the first reading of the class, I knew something was different about C.S. Lewis’ writing. These few weeks of discussions and readings have been the most learning I have done in a while. While the readings themselves cover a wide variety of topics, they fit perfectly with the overarching class theme of “Developing a Christian Mind.”
The first step in the development can be described as laying of the foundation for your worldview. In C.S. Lewis’ “Meditations in a Toolshed,” writes, “We must, on pain of idiocy, deny from the very outset the idea that looking at is, by its own nature, intrinsically truer or better than looking along. One must look both along and at everything”[1]. Lewis emphasizes the importance that there is no absolute better way in approaching something. One must try to understand another person’s perspective before they share ideas. One must also be mindful of the way their ideas are presented, especially in an argument. Lewis’ “Bulverism,” reminds us that “you must show that a man wrong before you start explaining why he is wrong.” He continues on with the important point that “you can only find out the rights and wrongs by reasoning – never by being rude about your opponent’s psychology” [2]. Too often, what people do is to assume the person is wrong and start insulting their opponents. Lewis teaches the important lesson to respect others who may disagree with you.
On a different aspect of development, Lewis’ “Our English Syllabus,” distinguishes between education and learning. He describes education as the skills and knowledge we gain, which prepares us for the real world[3]. On the other hand, learning involves using these skills to actively pursue what we find interesting. This idea is further echoed in Lewis’ “The Weight of Glory,” as he gives an example of a schoolboy that enjoys literature. The boy’s education equips him with skills to read, and he utilizes them in the learning process as he enjoys English literature. Unfortunately, the boy neglects his education of Greek, which will open him up to even greater pieces of literature. Instead he simply settles for “English poets and romancers suitable to his age”[4]. Lewis uses this illustration to show that we often have the correct desires for God, but are too easily distracted or satisfied. Cornelius Plantinga’s Engaging God’s World, shares a quote from Lewis’ “The Weight of Glory,” which reads:
It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased. [5]
In these first steps of developing a Christian Mind, the readings have reminded us to examine our attitudes and motives in engaging the world around us.
The second stage in the development covers the theme of understanding ourselves. From an unconventional perspective, C.S. Lewis gives an account on human behavior from a devil’s point of view in The Screwtape Letters. In the twelfth letter, Screwtape the devil writes to his nephew Wormwood, “My only fear is lest in attempting to hurry the patient you awaken him to a sense of his real position”[6] Wormwood has been provoking little changes to the person he is in charge of tempting, and as Screwtape describes, “it does not matter how small the sins are provided that their cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into the Nothing. … Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one, the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.” Lewis’ innovative literary technique in The Screwtape Letters illustrates and points out the many dangers the reader can face.
Another aspect of understanding ourselves is given through the reading of the first chapters of Lewis’ Mere Christianity. He begins by establishing the idea that everyone acts under a Moral Law, which is different from the laws of nature in that we have the free will to choose to ignore it. Furthermore, the Moral Law is not the instincts we have. A recurring analogy Lewis brings up is of comparing the Moral Law to music. “The Moral Law tells us the tune we have to play: our instincts are merely the keys. … The Moral Law is not any one instinct or any set of instincts: it is something which makes a kind of tune (the tune we call goodness or right conduct) by directing the instincts”[7]. By establishing the existence of this Moral Law, Lewis takes it further to compare how we use science to observe facts. He explains that in the same way that observing human activities will not show signs of this Moral Law, scientific observations about the physical aspect of the universe will not give any hints if there are greater powers. Lewis gives a witty example of him assuming that the packets delivered throughout his neighborhood contain letters. “I'm explaining the packets I'm not allowed to open by the ones I am allowed to open. … The only packet I am allowed to open is Man.” By exploring the Moral Law, we can get a deeper understanding of our human nature.
From a Christian Reformed perspective, Plantinga’s chapters on the Creation and the Fall explains the theology behind these Sunday school stories. Along with the topic of corruption, John Donne is quoted, “O Lord, thou has set up many candlesticks, and kindled many lamps in me, but I have either blown them out, or carried them to guide me in forbidden ways”[8]. This truly illustrates the sinfulness of man. We often take the gifts and talents from God and use them for evil. However, a second quote by Flanner O’Connor sheds more hope onto the matter. “We have plenty of examples in this world of poor things being used for good purposes. God can make any indifferent thing, as well as evil itself, an instrument for good; but I submit that to do this is the business of God and not of any human being”[9]. Plantinga’s chapters explore the corruption and sin in all of us.
The final stage in development is to understand how to relate to the world. In the chapter “Eros,” from Lewis’ The Four Loves, Eros is the romantic love between two people. By discussing the philosophy behind romantic love, Lewis points out the significance of this love and in turn, hints at the terrible condition our society is in. “Now Eros makes a man really want, not a woman, but one particular woman. In some mysterious but quite indisputable fashion the lover desires the Beloved herself, not the pleasure she can give”[10]. In many instances, Lewis explains that Eros doesn’t simply want any woman, but the Beloved herself. This is contrasted with the sexually immoral nature of our society that glamorizes sex and encourages sexual activities based on emotional impulses rather than relationship. In the natural romantic love, “very often what comes first is simply a delighted pre-occupation with the Beloved -- a general, unspecified pre-occupation with her in her totality A man in this state really hasn't leisure to think of sex. He is too busy thinking of a person. The fact that she is a woman is far less important than the fact that she is herself”. It also goes to show the absolute lack of true love involved in this culture of instant gratification. The reading on Eros gives readers a perspective on how to treat our relationship with others.
On a similar theme, “The Inner Ring,” is Lewis’ personal advice for university graduates on entering the working society. Lewis addresses the social phenomenon of Inner Rings, where groups of people join together and others are left out. He explains that while Inner Rings themselves can be a good place where friendships are nurtured, “let Inner Rings be unavoidable and even an innocent feature of life, though certainly not a beautiful one”[11]. Lewis’ main warning is against the desire to be included in these Inner Rings. “This desire is one of the great permanent mainsprings of human action. … Unless you take measures to prevent it, this desire is going to be one of the chief motives of your life, from the first day on which you enter your profession until the day when you are too old to care.” As a result of the pressure to advance in your career, people will challenge your integrity. They will not deliberately approach you as evil men. Instead, as described in The Screwtape Letters, the desire to be included in the Inner Ring will have you make gradual changes. “Of all the passions, the passion for the Inner Ring is most skillful in making a man who is not yet a very bad man do very bad things.”
On relating with the society and our future careers, Plantinga’s final chapter places an emphasis on the vocation that God has for us in these areas. As intended for college student readers, Plantinga urges us to continually think of God’s calling. “Thinking of college as no more than job training is a narrow-minded impoverishment of the kingdom of God”[12]. After being called to go to college, one must further this calling and be equipped to contribute to God’s kingdom. Plantinga explains that “we must not only find an occupation to bring to the kingdom; we must also shape it to suit its purpose”[13].
The development of a Christian mind is evident in the readings, from the foundation of a worldview, to understanding our human nature, and finally relating it to the world around us. In my favorite quote from the readings in this course, Lewis writes, “Knowledge of the facts must make a difference to one's actions.”[14]
[5] Plantinga, Cornelius. Engaging God's World. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2002. 5. Print.
[6] Lewis, C.S. The Screwtape Letters. New York: HarperOne, 2001. Print.
[7] Lewis, C.S. Mere Christianity. New York: HarperOne, 2001. Print.
[8] Plantinga, 54.
[9] Plantinga, 55.
[10] Lewis, C.S. The Four Loves. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1991. Print.
[11] Lewis, C.S. The Inner Ring. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Web. 24 Jan. 2011. <http://www.calvin.edu/~pribeiro/DCM-Lewis-2009/Lewis/the-inner-ring.doc>.
[12] Plantinga, 117.
[13] Plantinga, 122.
[14] Lewis, C.S. Man or Rabbit?. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Web. 24 Jan. 2011. <http://www.calvin.edu/~pribeiro/DCM-Lewis-2009/Lewis/man-or-rabbit.pdf>.
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